


In The Dark

by mrs260



Series: The Home Series [1]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Episode Related, First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-11-15
Updated: 2009-11-15
Packaged: 2017-10-02 20:00:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrs260/pseuds/mrs260
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Missing scene for In Purgatory's Shadow/By Inferno's Light. Garak is suffering from the physical effects of fighting his claustrophobia. Bashir helps. It takes place in the middle of the night after Garak suffers his acute attack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In The Dark

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [En la oscuridad](https://archiveofourown.org/works/654246) by [Giny04](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giny04/pseuds/Giny04)



It was dark. It was cold. The memory of that hot, tiny crawlspace   
closed in on him over and over, tormenting him not only with his   
phobic reaction but with the knowledge that others had seen his   
weakness.

"Garak?" The whisper was gentle, concerned, and accompanied by a   
human hand on his arm.

"Yes, doctor?"

"Are you warm enough?"

A curious question, posed to one who had not felt warm enough since   
he had been exiled. "I do feel colder than usual," he said. As a   
matter of fact he felt so thoroughly chilled that the cool human hand   
felt warm.

"You're in shock. I want you to try to stay conscious." A pause.   
"Come with me. Bring your blanket."

The hand slipped into his and led him confidently through the opaque   
darkness. "Can you _see_, doctor?"

"No, but I know where I'm going. Trust me."

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere we can talk without disturbing those who ought to sleep."

Fear washed over Garak and compelled him to another humiliation.  
"It's not too confined, is it?"

Compassion resonated in the human doctor's voice. "Of course not,   
Garak. It's private, though."

"Are we permitted to move about the compound at this hour?"

"Yes. Don't worry, Garak, I've done this before."

"You were also in solitary confinement before," Garak remarked with   
some semblance of his usual teasing tone.

"Not for walking the halls at night," Bashir answered mysteriously.   
Garak started to ask why he had been, but quickly thought the better   
of it. The doctor led him through a door and pressed him into a   
corner. "Here we are. Sit down."

He sat obediently and was covered not only by his own blanket but by   
the doctor's as well. Then the slender young man slipped under the   
covers beside him and enveloped him in a protective embrace. "Doctor!   
What are you doing?"

The doctor actually sounded a little defensive. "I have to keep you   
warm. You're freezing!"

He simply could not relax under these conditions. The lovely man   
rubbed his body, obviously just trying to raise his body temperature,   
oblivious to the havoc it was wreaking on the old exile's emotions...

"Garak, please try to relax," the doctor said patiently. Then a sigh   
of exasperation. "What's the matter, don't you trust me?" A faint   
trace of the small child, the innocent who trusted and was hurt by   
perceived mistrust.

"On the contrary, my dear doctor, I trust you implicitly. It is   
_myself_ I don't trust." Some part of his mind still ruled by Tain's   
training was horrified by his candour. But Tain was dead and the only   
living being he cared about sat next to him, requiring protection.

"What do you mean, you don't trust yourself?" the other man asked   
gently.

Garak sighed, touching the smooth caramel forehead, imagining the   
luminous mahogany eyes as clearly as if he could see in this utter   
blackness. "Enchanting man," he murmured, running his fingers into the   
soft black curls, "surely you aren't _that_ naive."

"...Oh..." Those beautiful eyes would go dull now, the propaganda-  
fed human mind dredging up every frightening and inaccurate thing   
he'd ever heard about Cardassian desire and sexual pursuit. Garak   
withdrew in preparation for the rejection.

Julian's voice continued after a moment. "I kept expecting a   
Cardassian seduction. I had given up hope..."

"I beg your pardon?" Surely he was mishearing.

"Garak, I would enjoy exploring a sexual relationship with you. I   
did try to initiate one... I read all about Cardassian mating rituals   
and followed them to the letter."

"Oh, is _that_ what you were doing, doctor? I thought you were upset   
with me!" Relief washed over him, making every muscle go limp.

"Finally! It's about time you relaxed."

More than relief. In his shock, his tired brain saw the cruel irony:   
Julian valiantly attempting a Cardassian flirtation while Garak   
flirted with the human as he saw humans do. He began to laugh   
silently, uncontrollably, half-sobbing with ragged, worn-out, edgy   
emotion that bordered on hysteria.

Julian held him. The human was such a comfort, always had been...

By touch he found Julian's soft, supple lips... when he kissed the   
young man he could feel the odd human coolness.

Julian spared a moment to examine his vital signs, then another   
kiss, then the tickle of breath in his hair and the elegantly accented   
voice in his ear. "Your temperature is back up. You're out of danger   
from the shock. Now we just have to manage your phobia so it doesn't   
happen again."

Julian's fingers caressed his ear, his forehead... his neckridges!   
Garak moaned with arousal. Of all the times those skilled surgeon's   
hands had touched him: five years of physicals, the injuries he'd   
sustained in the explosions and ambushes that were every tailor's lot,   
a casual hand on the arm over lunch and literature, he _never_ thought   
Julian would touch him this way.

The smug little smile appeared in his mind's eye as the   
self-satisfied voice caressed his ear. "You like this, don't you?"

"Yes!"

"I suppose you'd like me to keep doing it."

Was he actually planning to do this properly?! "Please," Garak   
gasped.

The hands withdrew and Garak nearly exploded. "We should get back to   
bed before the patrol goes through," Julian said smoothly.

Garak hissed, trying to gain control of the situation. "You infernal   
tease! Get back here!"

"I'm tired." He didn't sound the least bit tired. He sounded   
delighted at his position of power. Then, reasonably, "Come on, Garak,   
we both need sleep. We can't do this here anyway. Wait until we're   
back home."

"Of course." Garak smiled, finding the doctor's mouth in the dark   
for one more kiss. "You really have mastered the art of conflict,   
doctor. When I teach you the finer nuances that allow us to   
distinguish between antagonism and passion you will be a most   
stimulating and challenging mate."

Julian chuckled as they made their way back to the prisoners   
barracks. "Do you know my first name?"

"Of course."

"Nobody would ever know," Julian said archly.

Garak smiled. "I love you, Julian."

"I love you too, Elim."

~~~

END  
Mark


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